Improvement in gates



UNITED STATEs PATENT EEroE.

HENRY Z. MAST, OF FORK MEETING-HOUSE, ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF AND ROBERT R. OARMAN, OF FALLSTON, ,MARYLAND imPRovEMEN-rm GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,788, dated December l0, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Z. MAsT, of Fork Meeting-House, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to that class of gates which are opened and closed automatically by a passing vehicle, the gate, in this instance, being thrown out of balance to cause it to swing in either direction by proper mechanism operated by the vehicle, which mechanism moves in a suitable manner the lower end of the gatebar; and'conssts in the em-Y ployment of a few simple parts, of peculiar construction, for operating the gate-bar, aswill be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved gate; Fig. 2, a plan view of thespecial mechanism which operates the gate-bar; Fig. 3 lis a side elevation of the parts represented in Fig. 2; andJr Fig. 4, a modified form of the mechanism. To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe fully its construction and manner of operation.

`A represents the road-bed upon which the gate is located. B represents the post to which the gate is attached; B1, the post against which it swings when closed; and B2, that against which it swingswhen opened. The posts B1 B2 are provided with suitable catches, which engage with a corresponding latch upon the gate, when it is either opened or closed, and prevent it from swinging accidentally out of place. O represents the gate, which is provided with the usual bar c at itsrear end, which bar is attached at each end to the post B. D represents a plate, by means of whichV the upper end of the gate-bar is held. This plate is rigidly secured to the post B in any proper manner, but is attached to the upper end of the gate-bar by a single pin, so that the latter is free to swing in either direction.

If desired, the end of the gate-bar may be hinged in any other suitable manner. E, Fig. 3, represents a pin extending downward from the lower end ofthe gate-bar, which pin rests in the slot of abar, F, Fig. 3, which is rigidly attached to the gate-post. G represents the operating-lever, the short arm of which is proto the gate-post, and the end of its long arm is connected, by means of suitable rods, to the crank-shafts I, of the usual well-known construction.'

It win be observed that the bar E is not 1o-` cated at right angles'to the face. of the post B, but is inclined to one side at about an angle of forty-five degrees, the object of this construction being to cause the lower end oi' the gate-bar, when moved, to travel in a diagonal direction, by which means the double effeet of raising the front end of the gate and disturbing its side balance is obtained.

The operation will be readily'understood. The gate being closed, an approaching vehicle is so directed that one ot' its wheels is caused to strike the raised crank of the shaft I and depress it. By means of this movement the lever Gr is operated to move the lower end of the gate-bar, by means of the pin c and slotted bar F, out from the post, and also to one side in the direction opposite to that in which the gate opens.' This movement of the lower end of the gate-bar throws up the front end, so that the latch is disengaged from the catch 'of gate B1, and also disturbs its balance so are few in number and excedingly simple in their construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf- The combination of the slotted and pivoted lever G, the slotted bar F, and the gate C having the bar c provided with the pin c, isubstantially as described.

This speciiication signed and witnessed this 17th day of May, 1872.

HENRY Z. MAST. Witnesses:

J osErH W. SHROEE, J ons T. SABEL. 

